NO PEEKING
Pack Preps for
Divisional Battle with Vikes
by: Michael Filipelli
Call it a
trap game. While many are looking forward to the showdown with AFC powerhouse
New England next week the Minnesota Vikings are on the slate this week. On the
surface it would appear that this will be another cornucopia of points for the
Green Bay Packers. The Pack is currently tied with Detroit for the NFC North
lead and is in the discussion of the best in the business right now while the
Vikings are floundering and coming off a defeat at the hands of the Bears.
Minnesota is
tied in the basement with the disappointing Chicago Bears at 4 – 6. While that
record is shameful in the Windy City it is a breath of fresh air for new Viking
boss Mike Zimmer and the frozen followers
of Minnesota. Last year the Vikes were in such disarray Leslie Frazier was axed. Zimmer
is no-nonsense tough guy of a coach who has come in, kicked a few keisters
around and has put his stamp quickly on the Purple Gang.
Minnesota is
without star power with Jared Allen
now toiling in Chicago and Adrian
Peterson embroiled in an ugly child abuse case for “…whooping…” his 4 year
old son with a switch. Peterson’s
case came on the heels of Ray Rice’s
horrifically shocking video release of the beating of his then girlfriend now
wife and has dragged the NFL into the vortex of a national referendum on how
exactly Roger Goodell and the NFL
should respond. This has become a Rubicon of indecision, indifference, outrage
and has sparked a national debate. The NFLPA has in its standard contract a personal
conduct clause but the existence of what infraction equals which penalty is
glaringly missing. In a league so defined that everyone almost knows an offside
penalty = 5 yards and a personal foul = 15 yards there is no definable criteria
for infraction and punishment in the NFL for misconduct away from the gridiron.
And the off field transgressions are mojunting.
None existed
when Plaxico Burress shot himself in
the leg.
None existed
when Michael Vick was part of a
dog-fighting ring.
LeVeon Bell and LeGarrette Blount were arrested by a motorcycle cop
when he smelled the pot from their vehicle – on an interstate.
Now that Peterson’s case has been adjudicated
and he has been released he is not yet out of Goodell’s doghouse. Stating that Peterson has not comprehended the gravity of his situation has
resulted in Peterson remaining in
limbo and unable to rejoin his team.
But life in
the NFL marches on in the face of the black eye it has received off field. Zimmer has acknowledged that Peterson
will not be back this year and that the Vikings must focus on the here and now
and what is, not what was. Peterson
has even said that a fresh start elsewhere might be the best thing for him and
he may not be wrong. He is adamant about not wanting to be compared to Ray Rice. Rice’s heinous act showed
both the face of domestic violence and the very dark underbelly of large,
incredibly strong men who are rewarded for violence.
Zimmer has not had his big back to take the
load of talented but inconsistent rookie QB
Teddy Bridgewater. The intial plan was to keep Teddy B on the bench while he interned under incumbent Matt Cassell and former flavor-of-the-month
and first rounder Christian Ponder. Ponder’s
stock has fallen so far that in a year or two he will be rendered to becoming
the answer to a trivia question. In Peterson’s place Minnesota has found decent
enough players in RB’s Jerrod MacKinnon and Matt Asiaga who have put up 484 and
279 yards respectively. Their presence has not caused anyone to forget what
Minnesota has lost with Peterson.
As the
season has ground on there is a sun rising on Minnesota. They lost a close one
to Chicago last week and now are tasked with facing the highest scoring team in
the NFL when the Packers visit the Twin Cities. The Packers staggering 108
point explosion in the last two games has been the talk of the NFL. The biggest
question associated with Green Bay right now is “are they peaking”. The biggest
question this week in anticipation of the game against Minnesota associated with Green Bay is “are they peeking?”
Mike McCarthy is well aware of the dangers of a ‘trap’
game. Yes the Patriots are ahead. Many fans are already peaking ahead to that
marquee matchup. But McCarthy is
well aware of the fact that the Patriot game is of far less significance in the
big picture than this the battle week. For all intents and purposes winning or losing
to the Patriots does very little to impact Green Bay standings-wise. Beyond
giving their fans a chance to bray a little more should the Pack prevail
against Tom Brady and Co. if somehow
the Vikings are to pull an Oakland Raiders and upset the heavily favored Pack
the results could have serious implications for the playoffs. The Raiders won
their first game at Kansas City’s expense and Minnesota knows they are not in
the hunt for a playoff spot.
Minnesota
would love nothing more than to upset the high flying Pack and spoil the trip
to the Big Dance. Zimmer would love
to hang his hat on that one and will be delivering the message loudly to his
players. A win would validate the Vikings and give them solid ground upon which
they can continue to build for the future. Laying a cornerstone could go a very
long way and pay dividends with his current roster and help in the attraction
of free agents. Make no mistake the Vikings ship is pointed in the right
direction. They have a great Captain at the helm. What they lack are the
deckhands in numbers enough to move the ship to the Promised Land.
McCarthy knows this and will be keeping the
Packers focused on what is in front of them. One of the first components of
making it to the playoffs is winning in your own division. Green Bay is very comfortable
right now with a 3-1 mark having beaten the Bears twice and a thrashing of
Minny earlier this season. The lone black mark is the black eye the vastly
improved Lions gave them in a 19 – 6 win that when compared to the level where
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers is playing today it is akin to comparing a snail
to Lambeau Field. As incongruous as the juxtaposition it is hard to conceive
this offense, the very same offense that has ripped, shredded, and destroyed some
very capable teams along the way is the same offense that put up a paltry 7
points in the Motor City.
Have they
peaked? Are they peaking? It is difficult to imagine a team, as a team, playing
at a higher level that The Pack right now. But – what if they haven’t hit their
peak yet? Just how high is the ceiling?
There may
not be a ceiling to just how good this Packers team can be. Only time and the rest
of the schedule will hold the answers.
The Packers
are in control of their fate. Winning out equals a playoff berth – period. The
game against the Vikings puts Green Bay at 4-1 in the division and regardless of
what the Lions do the finale of the year when Detroit visits Green Bay could
hold the NFC North crown in the balance.
That point
is rendered moot with a loss to Minnesota. On paper this no contest. There is
not a QB on the planet right now that can match up with Aaron Rodgers. Not Brady, not Manning, not Brees and
certainly not Bridgewater. It would
be a huge mistake for Green Bay to simply mail it based on the recent point
production and the fact they have already dropped 42 on Minnesota in week 5 in
a 42 -10 blowout.
Rodgers and McCarthy have become a very simpatico pairing
in their preparations, perspectives and production. Away from the field Rodgers is California cool and as laid
back as a surfer on the beach. His quiet demeanor hides and intensely savage competitive
streak. Rodgers has the weapons and
this is the “Golden Age” right now of the Rodgers
regime. As this season has worn on the Packers have improved in almost every
aspect of the game. The truly frightening fact is they may not have yet hit
their peak… and the rest of the league knows it. Rodgers is healthy. RB Eddie
Lacy is healthy. Jordy Nelson and
Randall Cobb may just be the best 1-2 WR combo in the league. Rookie Davante Adams has become more involved
in the offense as has TE Andrew
Quarless.
Across the
board the Packers have improved. The defense has been laughed at for their
paltry standings against the run. After Dom
Capers tinkered and moved Clay Matthews
inside there has been a sudden and rapid resurgence of the D. Nick Perry is shedding his ‘first round
bust’ tag and is playing better than he ever has in Titletown. Mike Neal dropped his tag last year and
is playing at a high level. Free Agent Letroy
Guion has become entrenched in the trenches and as a former first round
pick of Minnesota’s, the team that slapped the ‘first round bust’ tag on him he
would love nothing more than to show his former employers up.
Last season Morgan Burnett took the brunt of how
lousy the Packers safeties were. Now alongside Ha Ha Clinton- Dix and Micah Hyde Burnett has become a heat seeking
missile of a tackler. No one is laughing now. And then there is the way too
old/ past his prime/ what does he have left in the tank case of Julius Peppers.
The move to
Green Bay has not only extended but his career but has shown what Peppers is capable of. He has 2 pick 6’s
this year and has not lost the ability to get to the QB. Peppers is playing as if
he had been miscast his entire career until he got to Green Bay. As an OLB and
part time DE Peppers has become one
of the largest cogs in the Packs D. His is no longer relegated to being a one
trick pony and has been able to utilize his tremendous athletic gifts to the
fullest degree.
Count on the
Pack to understand the meaning of this game. Brady can wait. There is business to be taken care of right now.
Don’t look for any sudden drop-off from the Pack either. Even on the road the
Packers rightfully have a huge edge in this game.
And McCarthy loves to have some edge to his
team.
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